Chadrel Kunga Palden
བྱ་བྲལ་ཀུན་དགའ་དཔལ་ལྡན།
bya bral kun dga' dpal ldan
Short Biography
Chadrel Kunga Palden (b.1878), was the 'Heart Son' of both Onpo Tenzin Norbu and Dzogchen Khenchen Konchok Drakpa. Born in the Earth Tiger year of the 15th Rabjyung, in the capital of Derge, Dokham. As a youth he lived with his father and uncle who worked together and were both comfortably adept businessmen doing all sorts of worldly dealing, like commerce and agriculture.
But because of the things he had witnessed, he came to recognize the true nature of cyclic existence and thus developed true revolution for samsaraic life. So one day he vowed to overturn the depths of samsara and to achieve perfect enlightenment within the life time and body he already had.
Thus he traveled to Dzogchen Monastery to receive the teaching and monks vows from the Mahapandita Orgyen Tenzin Norbu. From Onpo Tenzin Norbu he received all of the outer and inner preliminaries as well as the main practices of the Dzogchen Nyingthik and personal guidance in the paths of Trekcho and Thogel. From these teaching he experienced a direct perception of one's own natural state, where all of the stages and paths are primordially perfect and complete.
From Masters such as Dzogchen Khenchen Losel Tenkyong, Khenchen Shenga Rinpoche, and other renowned guides he simultaneously received the detailed teachings and pith instructions for the “Seven Treasures” and the “Trilogy of Comfort and Ease”. Along with all the multitudes of scriptures by the two Omniscient Father and Son, Drime Ozer and Khyentse Ozer, he received the older and newer; higher and lower; and the supporting and enhancing practice of the Nyingthik.
From the time he entered into the path, he maintained the conduct of a true yogi, a simple renunciate staying in mountain retreats, place like Rudam Tsering Jong, the hermitage of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa, which became his permanent residence. In the Wood-bird year without the slightest sign of sickness, seated with crossed leg and wearing his three sets of robes, Chadrelwa entered into meditative equipoise, resting in the peaceful luminous nature it was as if he just fell asleep.[BL]
Primary Teachers
Primary Students
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Alternate Names & Spellings
- Chatang Kunga Palden
Other Reference Sources
- From the snga 'gyur rdzogs chen chos 'byung chen mo, bya bral kun dga' dpal ldan gyi rnam thar bsdus pa